Becoming a Project Manager

As part of the placement you may be asked to come back an be the placement manager, I thought that was crazy in my case as I was going into my final year of university and I didn't think I would be any use to anyone.

However due to a twist of fate and an ill timed holiday I actually ended up being part of the interview day. At first it seemed so surreal to be on the other side of the interview table, but then i thought about how useful it was. I could ask questions and answer questions on the area, Reignite that very few others could. Also having spent so much time working for the Reignite I was invested in getting them the best placement volunteers.

So for all those future EWB placements, please do consider being project manger, I regret now saying no. It's a chance for you to help someone avoid your mistakes and ensure the legacy of all your hard work.

Last Day in Bambui

Our last day in Bambui was an interesting one. It started with a trip to Bamenda to visit farther Victor for a small breakfast, then onto the town to get some cash and another suitcase because I have somehow managed to gather twice the amount of stuff as when I got here.

Father Victors idea of a small breakfast

Friday was also the leaving celebration at the palace and I have to say I was a little disappointed. It was great to say goodbye to the Fon as he has always been very nice and supportive, I also did get another snazzy traditional dress but it was badly organised and not many people showed up. 

Pre Bambui makeover 

After Bambui Makeover

However by this point I was panicking about my packing so a short goodbye was quite a welcome change from the usual long ceremonies. Also we got to give the Fon his gift of whisky and a british flag which he immediately hung up, which made me smile. He also told me and Chris that we are now a daughter and son of Bambui and this is now our second home. 

The Fon and guests outside the palace 

Our last week

The last week in Bambui has been hectic to say the least any idea of finishing our reports has been abandoned. The arrival of Tom in Bambui who came to work with the eco tourism centre to improve their treks, has made the house very busy. We have also been inundated with people who want to see us and talk to us and say their goodbyes. We kept going into BAWA but it felt every day I was going backwards and forwards to somewhere or another. Actually I got a wonderful surprise on Tuesday the package my mum sent me months ago finally arrived so I was full of happiness and chocolate!

We had our final meeting with crysantus on Wednesday where we talked through the projects.

Then dinner at Mr Valentines on Thursday.

Mr Valentine and his wife Eunice

Their house 

On this evening I had to do the one thing that I had been dreading each Achu. It’s the traditional Bambui meal and its mashed cocoyams and banana mash where you pour in cold yellow soup which contains cow skin. Luckily the one I had was hot, it had real meat in and I only had a baby portion but it was still an effort. It's also eaten with two fingers.

 We also got a nice surprise from the BAWA staff.

A traditional tunic however on me it was more like a dress!

We also were given some jewellery to finish off our outfits.

But apparently my headscarf needed changing so the Chairmans daughter helped me out.

I'm a proper Bambui Princess now! 

Presentation #2

Presentation day 2:

Then it was time to do it all again on Friday for the Tubah council. The presentation was held in the Courthouse and we had another Fon from Fungang and the Lord Mayor of Tubah in attendance.

The reason we did this second presentation is although Reignite is based in Bambui it actually resides within Tubah Council which covers 4 villages bambili, Bambui, small babanki and big babanki. Bambui is the test case for the Reignite project structure and it's good to share the progress with the other villages. It’s hard to believe it but reignite is a relatively small organisation (though they think big) and they can only really work in one area at a time.

So we stepped up to do our presentation again.

I was feeling much more confident as we had done it all yesterday and there were only around 50 people in attendance.

It was all going so well till I stepped up to do my talk on irrigation and the power went off. I just had to carry on whilst we put the Laptop on a high chair.

Then thankfully it came back on so I moved back to the screen seamlessly (I hope) then it happened again. However I was nearly at the end so I just finished up and waited for the questions. This time there were a few tough ones, some not even about my project, but luckily Teresa stepped in a few times and helped me with answers. Then we had a nice speech by the Lord Mayor 

Then it was time to celebrate…or finish our reports.

Feedback:

Just to add throughout the past couple of weeks we have been receiving some feedback, which has all been really nice. All the farmers seemed very happy with my presentation and apparently I am now an advocate for both the youths and women as I am so accomplished and confident for someone so young and you know a woman. In addition everyone was very impressed with Christopher's project and now there is a tippy tap and a urinal for fertiliser outside the Eco Tourism Center and hopefully a shift in peoples perception of sanitation and hygiene. 

Presentation #1

It seems like ages since I posted anything but times have been hectic!

Presentation day 1:

The first presentation was at the milky way hotel, this was for the Bambui community. This presentation was especially important to us as these were the people the project was intended for and we really wanted to showcase what we had done in the time we had been here. After the initial worry we just got right down to it. We had around 100 people with lots of the committees and HRH the Fon of Bambui in attendance. 

Chris was feeling a bit unwell so I took lead on the presentation. After an initial prayer by Teresa and an introduction by the Chairman of BAWA it was up to me to talk through the agenda. 

Firstly we wanted to explain what engineers without borders was and who we were and how this fitted into reignites goals for the community.

I then went into my findings from the water balance which was, Bambui has lots of water but people waste too much of it. 

Chris then talked about his sanitation project which was very extensive and highlighted some very important issues. I particularly liked when he talked about London in the 1830's and how it took an outbreak of cholera to push people into changing. How they had installed a sewer system and how it had now become one of the most important cities in the world.  I think this was really interesting to show that we had to go through the same thing and how in the long run it was really useful.

We had a quick break then it was time for me to talk about my irrigation project, I felt very comfortable speaking to everyone and hopefully I made sense. I really wanted to highlight the stakeholder management as it was an area where there could be the potential for conflict.

I also wanted to try and introduce the idea of drip irrigation, which I think would work really well here. 

We had final questions then it was time for Mariana to talk about what happens next. Then it was the usual protocall of doing all our thanks. I also got the chance to do something special for one of my favourite Bambui men, Antony. We called him up and gave him my EWB badge as he had been such a great help to us and without him my project wouldn't have been the same. He also had bonded with us socially when he invited us to his house to meet his family and we even visited his childhood house where we met his dad and 3 mothers!

Then it was all over and we got to have some food! 

Then of course it was picture time! 

me and a Bambui women group 

Getting dressed up 

Sister Mary-Jo the tiniest Nun in the world! 

Antony wearing his new badge

picture with Antony 

Our technical Advisor Mr Crythantus

Advice for future development workers in Africa

So the point of this blog was threefold

1.       To keep my family/friends up to date with what I’m doing (because hell no am I going to be able to tell the 3 months worth of information when I get back)

2.       To remind me what I’ve done/ my journey as my memory is atrocious and everything looks rosy in hindsight

3.       As a guide for future engineers who may think about coming to Cameroon or Africa for an engineering project.

So this is a post for all those number threes. Some of this has been mentioned in other posts but this is just a summary.

Firstly I would suggest you do your research, Africa is so different from the rest of the world that it is worth just reading up on as much as you can. Look at pictures, weather, traditions, food etc. Find out the things that you can get hold of and the things you can’t. for example for just some fun we wanted to get a football but here they cost in excess of £11, as a country famed for its football this seems a little strange. It is very difficult to get a hold of good chocolate and cheese, both things are very important to me, so think about bringing some essentials. There are no words to describe the happiness you feel when you are feeling low and have a little reminder of home.

Know your money, you will always be charged more as a foreigner but if you know the average rate you can avoid many things also be prepared to haggle, it’s not rude and people up the beginning price and expect you to lower it.  Also it can help you manage your money if you are aware of the high costs. Usually crafts/local food is relatively cheap as they are produced here but if it needs to be imported the prices can be higher.

Think about Clothes. We had big problems in the first week where it was continuous rain, this meant that Chris had wet shoes for months as he brought 2 pairs and there wasn’t enough sun to dry them. Also pack for all weather I really wish I had brought a jumper as it can get quite cool. Also think to the future some people may be gone for 3-12 months so you may need to buy clothes there what is available, they might have hundreds of dresses but no good pair of jeans. Clothes can get damaged or worn. I have already destroyed 2 pairs of shoes.

Keep in contact, be it facebook emails etc. The internet can be unpredictable/slow but if you have a linked in email account (one that opens automatically on your desktop) you can send and receive emails with barely any signal. Also it is always good to get encouragement from back home.  This also applies for Blogs, they are a good tool to evaluate your time and you can write about things in a less formal way.

Expect the unexpected. You will always be surprised at the impact you will have and where it will take place. Normally you will expect to have an impact due to your project, but sometimes it’s just your presence. We have a favourite “restaurant” it’s actually a retrofitted cargo container, since we have started eating there his business has increased, the same could be said for a tailor or hairdresser.  

You will be held to a higher standard than other people. You must accept that you will be a mix between a celebrity and a diplomat. People will see everything you do and talk and judge you on it. This may seem strange and a lot of responsibility but its part of what is expected of you. When you visit someone’s house they will expect you to eat food and take a drink. They will introduce you to everyone and you will have to sit and eat food in front of everyone. People will want you to visit their homes and will want your number and to talk to you just because you are from England or you’re white.

People have different backgrounds, beliefs and family structures than you. You have to realise that you can’t take anything for granted, always get a local person to help you integrate. There is a man here who is a chief, one of the things that you can’t do it touch them. Every single time I see him I try and shake his hand, You need to listen and try to assimilate as soon as you can. But on a positive note people will be more accommodating to you because they understand you’re foreign.

A little effort on your part can go a long way. Whilst here we try to learn a little of the Bambui language my vocabulary only consist of 5 phrases “A-ben Wa-a” which means good morning. “a bwe la” which means how are you “a bon” which means fine “maya” which is thank you and “oy yeh sa” which means good afternoon. Whenever I try and use these it makes everyone very happy, probably at my awful accent. Also if you do things like eat the local food, wear local clothes, It might seem to you that you are playing dress up but it really makes people happy.

Don’t give money out. One of the worst things you can do is present yourself as the typical westerner throwing money around. Even if you think it’s for a friend or needed. You are better off buying something and giving a gift or saying next time, maybe etc. Don’t overspend or give tips it may seem nice to you but it’s better to give a gift at the end of the placement.

Give gifts, you have to be aware that sometimes you have to dress a certain way and honour people with gifts. Especially if you are invited to big events you might have to give a small gift to some dancers or give a gift to the Fon. You may be asked for a donation to a fundraiser etc. Just give what you can 100CFA to some people is a lot to us its 13p.

You will have to learn to live without, sometimes there is no water, no internet no power, no TV. Sometimes their won’t be a good bathroom, areas to wash your hands etc. just channel your inner guide/scout and always be prepared.

Finally Organisation is worth its weight in gold. Africans are very visual our office is covered with bits of paper explaining bits of our project and a massive calendar showing all our site visits and what we have been doing. We also planned a weekly Monday morning meeting where we discuss what we have done and what we intend to do in the next couple of weeks. You will have people always asking what you are doing, where you are going people will come visit you and it’s nice to have something to show them. Also you are managing your own time so it’s easy to let things slide. Monthly progress meetings with your NGO are always good for evaluating where you are and what you have to do.

Make sure you look after you! It may seem important to do lots of work and juggle a million things at once but make sure you have at least 2 days off a week. You will be in a beautiful place, with lots of places to explore. It doesn’t have to be cultural either; you have a lazy PJ day at home with a few films or go to the local pub/club and relax with your new friends.

Chris also has a piece of advice; try and get involved in activities outside of your project as the people you meet will help you later on.

Wow that was a lot of information, but in the end just trust your gut, remember your training and I’m sure you will have an amazing time!

Reflection

So as my time is coming to an end I thought I would do a reflection of my time here in Cameroon.

So I think for the first time I’m beginning to relax and enjoy myself. Not that I haven’t enjoyed myself, but there was always this looming 90 days away from any comfort that I had known, or basics like showers and food. It was always thinking about what would I do when I got back. However I think now that it’s only 24 days away it feels like everything can wait. To some people this must seem like a long time but when you have only 1 weeks to finish your project, time will definitely fly. It’s almost like if I crave chocolate or cheese I only have 3 more weeks and then I can just go and get them. The only thing that I am concerned about is the fact that I have so little time before I have to go back to university. I'll still be marveling at things like showers and shops and cash points being everywhere! 

I am more concerned about what I’ll miss now, going from longing for the UK to getting nostalgia for Cameroon, WHILST I’M STILL HERE! I suppose this means I have better opportunity to savor the good things. Firstly the absolute freedom (well within a boundary) I can decide on my site visits and plan my work schedule decide on meetings and when I want to have lunch. Even in the evening or when I want a day off, okay I normally have to consult Chris but he is quite complaint. Not having to look after myself, I wake up and my breakfast is usually set out for me to pick and choose from and then I always go out for lunch. Then it’s Fernando's superb cooking for dinner, or possibly a trip out.  In addition my washing and ironing is done for me and I never have to do washing up, well occasionally I do but it’s sporadic at best. As anyone who knows me, knows I hate cooking!

So what about the future 2013 AC (after Cameroon)? Some things I hope will change, I want to be a little bit less superficial, this is probably the longest I’ve ever gone without wearing makeup. Having the choice of 10 items of clothing for 3 months means that you just don’t really care what you look like, favouring practicality over fashion. I hope to keep my slimmer frame, this has been the best diet, remove yourself completely from any junk food and most other types of food lol I also probably walk 1 hour everyday with a very heavy bag . I hope to maintain this (though it will be impossible) and possibly join some good teams back at uni maybe even the girls football team (amateur for sure) and possibly netball. what will probably be more likely is i'll binge on everything I was kept away from and slip into a food coma. 

So what about personal growth/ awareness? I have come to the sad conclusion that I talk too much, I have always been aware that I’m chatty but it’s almost like a disease! Chris has become quite exasperated by me and I do feel sorry for him sometimes. I also realise that although I love helping people there is lots of problems with international aid. I have to admit Reignite is amazing and navigating these tricky waters very well, bringing skills and sustainability to projects rather than just throwing money at it. But I have seen other projects that have had issues and things that should really be done by governments rather than international aid. I think I would like to do something similar again, or even work abroad for a bit but for right now i'm looking forward to my next year in England :D